Wait Til Next Year

My plan for improving the Mets in 2009:
1) The Mets do not need to break up the core. Few teams have a core equal to Reyes, Wright and Beltran, you don't split those guys up, you build around them.
2) Because they have 3 great players, 2 very young, the Mets should build a young group around them, with the hope of winning next year, but the goal of winning for the next 5 years.
3) Make Daniel Murphy field 1000 balls a day at second base. Murphy's ability to take pitches and work out walks makes him a very valuable 2-hitter. He'd be an above-average second baseman, but below average left fielder. I like Orlando Hudson just fine but he'll be 31 soon and is basically an .800 OPS player, decent, but not worth a big free agent contract.
4) Absolutely, positively, sign Oliver Perez, no matter the cost. It will probably cost 6-years, $90 million which seems like a lot, but is actually pretty reasonable when you consider the contracts other comparable pitchers have received. Perez is only 27, so after a 6 year deal he'll be 33, which makes him much more valuable than a guy who is already 33. Perez could reasonably just be entering his prime. Also consider than Dan Warthen did have an impact on his performance, and hope that will continue. And please don't get turned off by the dollar amount, it's not like shopping at a store, if you don't pay for this good young lefty, you don't get one, and have 3 question marks in your rotation.
5) Don't even consider resigning Pedro Martinez. One of the worst free agent deals in history, when they signed him 4 years ago. He had 1 great year and 3 useless to horrible ones. If they even have a discussion with his agent it would be too much. Moises Alou must go also, freeing up about $20 million in those two contracts alone.
6) Consider the big splash. There are three huge free agents available, all of whom would fit the Mets perfectly. CC Sabathia is not likely an option, rumor is he wants to go to the West Coast. Francisco Rodriguez is the most obvious fit based on need and the fact that a lot of other big spending teams already have reliable closers. But closers are always iffy. The best fit might actually be Manny Ramirez. He can hit under pressure and his lax attitude, while galling at times, may be exactly what this team needs to avoid folding under pressure again.
7) But the main need is fixing the bullpen. Although the temptation is just to get rid of everyone, you'd need to bring in 6 new guys. So I say get rid of three of them. Sanchez has never been the same since his injury. Heilman absolutely sucks, has always sucked, will always suck. And Luis Ayala is terrible too. I'd keep Joe Smith, that's pretty much a no-brainer, he's young, and by far the best of the bunch. I'd keep Feliciano because he's young and a lefty and was excellent in 2006 and 2007. And lastly, I'd hang on to Schoeneweis because he's a lefty and lefties are hard to come by. I think he can be effective situationally and he actually wasn't all that bad this year, other than a few blowups in key spots.

The point here is that the Mets have a great nucleus to build around. They can either continue building with good young players, or add old tired parts and see them get hurt or falter, and end up in this same position next year. I choose youth.